It is known that chronic electrical stimulation of cultured cardiac myocytes prevents atrophy and de-differentiation, maintaining contractile properties of the cells and tissue for much longer than unstimulated cells. One preferred system for providing electrical stimulation to cell cultures or “pacing” cell cultures as the process is known is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,148,059 to Tillotson et al. Among the features of the apparatus of the '059 patent are that it provides adjustable output voltage and current in order to work with standard culture dishes or flasks, and to work with different preparations. The system also serves as a stand alone programmable instrument that, once programmed, requires no monitoring. A further advantageous aspect of the system is that electrolysis by-products that naturally accumulate in a closed system during prolonged electrical stimulation are minimized. This latter feature is accomplished through the use of appropriate electrode material, alternating pulse polarity and by employing circuitry which prevents current leakage between pulses.
It is likewise known in the art that chronic mechanical stretch or physical stimulation has beneficial effects on cell and tissue cultures, promoting cell vitality and reducing tendencies of the cultured cells to de-differentiate. One culture device for applying uniform stretch to cells is disclosed in United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2007/0178584 of Naruse et al., wherein a deformable culture well is provided. See, also, WO 2008/123508 wherein a fertilized egg is physically stimulated by deforming a channel in which the egg is incubated.
Despite advances in the art, existing systems are relatively limited in providing culture stimulation options for cellular research and product development.